Chapter Text
Somehow, he didn't think green was color it was supposed to be. Vos muttered to himself as he turned his datapad left, upside down, then finally settling it on its right side. Did he add something out of order? The seeker leaned down, optics at tabletop-level, and peered frustratedly at the green-tinted energon. It was supposed to be bronze in color with flakes of oxidized copper floating about. But no, it just refused to cooperate!
Vos mumbled to himself as he slid the subpar concoction to the side with the other two failed mixes. The fourth attempt was also less than satisfactory. Purple bubbles? Interesting. He made a note about the influence of salicylic acid on iron for future experimentation.
It was on the fifteenth attempt that Vos sent a desperate ping to Helex explaining his results. The slagpot laughed heartlessly over the comms, ::Did you let it cool before adding the flakes?::
::Yes, of course I did!:: Vos huffed, glaring balefully at his first failure. ::But the flakes didn't sink!::
::How long did you wait?::
::Until it was cool.:: The seeker's armor flared at the chuckle his frustration earned.
::You have to mix in the flakes when the mixture is cool enough that they don't melt, but not before it gels completely.:: Sounds of clinking and clattering filled the background of Helex's end of the comm. ::Keep trying.::
::But how do I--:: The comm clicked off on the slagpot's end; Vos clenched his servos. First, that slagger wouldn't share any of the energon treats he made. Then he dangled an incomplete recipe for one of Vos' favorites in his faceplate, knowing it took exact timing to make it turn out just right.
The thirty-fifth concoction somehow went from a liquid straight into a rock-hard solid without any sort of "gel" phase. Vos cradled his helm and keened.
That fragger took joy in torturing him.